Light aircraft pilots ‘blitz’ urged

Press, 17 April 1979, Page 6

Light aircraft pilots ‘blitz’ urged

The manager of the Can-) terbury Aero Club has sug-i gested that the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport would be better) to run a “blitz" on light air-1 craft pilots than to change the flight rules, which he said were “completely adequate.” "If they rigorously enforced the rules, this would be one of the most effective ways of curbing the accident rate in light aircraft," said Mr J. J. Goddard last evening. , He said that the Civil Avt-j ation Division had “overreached itself’ by introducing more restrictive flight rules for light aircraft. He said the restrictions on New Zealand light aircraft pilots were now harsher than any others in.

■ the world. Existing rules, • were “well established” and) i “completely adequate,” and, ' in line with international! ■ legislation for pilots of light 'aircraft, he said. ■ New rules and amendments, > to existing rules were intro-; • duced earlier this month.bv) the division in response to) a spate of bad-weather light I aircraft accidents this year. ■ which have so far killed 16) . persons, as manv as were I killed in the whole of 1977) -in such accidents. , Mr Goddard said that the. •ICanterbury Aero Club, and: • other flying organisations) I around New Zealand, had pro-) s tested to the Ministry of) (Transport about the new: I rules, which he said were ' hastv and ill-considered. i ( New Zealand had a com-1

;■ parable rate of light aircraft -accidents with overseas couni; tries — ‘ but we’ve had a llrun of bad weather accidents -lately; that could be just due to the bad weather or ; perhaps there are increasing - aircraft around,” he said. - "No-one is complacent >!about the situation, but it : would be much better for the ,[division to enforce the exist>[ing laws, which are comypletely adequate, rather than -to change them.” Mr Goddard said he! !; thought the changes in the) I. rules had been instituted be-i i cause the division was re-' ■ spending to "public emotion” j -on the issue of light aircraft 'I accidents. “It is as if they want to be seen doing something,” he -said.